“The Last of Our Kind”: Recalling “Surreal” Kobe Bryant Moment, 63YO NBA Veteran Reflects on Last Conversation With the Black Mamba

It was one of those moments in time when you remember exactly what you were doing. On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant passed away with his daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash. The news had devastated millions across the globe because the Black Mamba’s legacy had touched so many lives. Even NBA legends were always impressed with his persona. A 9x NBA All-Star can remember in vivid detail his last interaction with the Los Angeles Lakers icon.

An Atlanta Hawks icon went way back with Bryant, even though they played in different generations. He was instrumental in helping Bryant bounce back from his 2013 injury. Since then, the 63-year-old always maintained that ‘The Bean’ was special to him. That’s why he took the loss very hard.

9x NBA All-Star was in disbelief after Kobe Bryant’s death

Dominique Wilkins was just returning from international basketball leagues when a young Kobe Bryant stepped onto an NBA court. He would retire from the NBA in 1999 and Bryant would win his first NBA championship the following season. Though their careers didn’t intersect, they formed a strong friendship till Bryant’s untimely demise.

While on VladTV, Wilkins got emotional speaking about the devastating moment he heard about Bryant’s helicopter crash. He was outdoors and driving when one of his five children broke the news to him.

“I remember my son called me. He said ‘he’s gone,’ I was like ‘What are you talking about?’ … He said, ‘Kobe, he’s gone.’ I was like ‘Don’t play like that, man.’ He said, ‘No Dad, he’s gone.'”

After the call with his son, Wilkins was reeling and called his colleagues, who confirmed the news to him. “I pulled the car over on I-20, I remember this like it was yesterday, and I sat there for an hour. I couldn’t drive.” Many viewers could empathize with the Atlanta Hawks legend recalling the moment they heard the news about Bryant too.

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It also hit Wilkins that he was one of the last people who spoke to the Lakers legend. “I just talked to him two weeks ago, you know. And it’s almost like it was like yesterday.”

The 9x All-Star, who shared a notorious on-court rivalry with Michael Jordan, always elevated the Black Mamba to His Airness’ level. Calling his friend’s loss “devastating,” he said that the 5x champion was “kind of the last of our kind. You know the guy that always played no matter what.” It’s a sentiment he conveyed to Bryant personally when he played his last game in Atlanta.

The Impact of Kobe Bryant on Dominque Wilkins

One of his last conversations with Bryant in person was in Brooklyn. Bryant was apparently earning cool dad points with his daughters by showing off his friendship with ‘The Dominique Wilkins’. “He was bragging to his daughter about my career and it blew me away,” Wilkins recalled.

One of the greatest slam-dunkers in NBA history, Dominique Wilkins was dubbed the ‘Human Highlight Reel.’ But one of his greatest moments was when he made a comeback from a near career-ending injury. When Bryant suffered the same injury in 2013, he turned to Wilkins for support.

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Wilkins has always spoken fondly about Bryant since then. “I remember that conversation, man. I was like that is so nice that you know he talked about me to his daughter like that and what I was and how much of a fan he was.” Two weeks later, Wilkins was struck by the news of Kobe and his daughter’s passing. Like many fans, he felt it was “surreal” and reflected on how he cherishes his memories with his late friend.